About this place
The community of the Clerical Congregation of the Blessed Korean Martyrs at 3 Seongbuk-ro 24-gil, Seoul, is listed in the Korean Catholic Directory as “Bokja Sarang Monastery / Bokja Sarang Retreat House.” It belongs to Korea’s first indigenous men’s religious congregation, founded by Fr. Andrew Bang Yu-ryong in 1953, and combines religious community life with a place for retreats and spiritual formation.
The site brings together the congregation’s long history in Seongbuk-dong and its retreat apostolate. Through communal life, prayer, and retreats, it shares the congregation’s tradition of following the faith of the Korean martyrs and living its spirituality of self-emptying union with Christ.
History & origins
The Clerical Congregation of the Blessed Korean Martyrs was founded in Jegi-dong, Seoul, on October 30, 1953. The following year it moved to temporary quarters within the Myeongdong Cathedral complex and later established its central community in Seongbuk-dong. As the congregation grew, the Seongbuk-dong house became a principal place for formation and common life.
When urban planning in the early 1980s threatened part of the existing motherhouse, the congregation acquired land across from it in 1985 and began construction of a new motherhouse. The work was completed in October 1987, after which the community moved and the former motherhouse was converted into a seminary. When seminarian formation was later consolidated elsewhere, the first Seoul seminary was converted in June 1995 into the “Bokja Sarang Retreat House,” serving formation and retreat needs.
The present listing of the community at 3 Seongbuk-ro 24-gil as “Bokja Sarang Monastery / Bokja Sarang Retreat House” reflects this continuity of religious life and retreat ministry in Seongbuk-dong.
Korean Catholic Places Encyclopedia
Start the first record for Korean Martyrs Blessed Clergy Congregation
No public encyclopedia article is available for this place yet. Help document its Catholic history and stories with verifiable sources.
Encyclopedia articles are currently available in Korean.
Would you like to record this place in your pilgrimage passport?
Sign in to keep this record with you.
Building information
- Passenger elevators: 0
- 3 above-ground floors · 1 below-ground floors
- Approved for use in 1959
- Total floor area: 1,368㎡
Building-register record · · Source
Accessibility information
Accessibility information is not available yet. Please check with the location before visiting.
Sources and updates
- Information Status
- Official
- Source
- Official source
- Data freshness
- Fresh
- Last updated
- Source
- 한국천주교주교회의 온라인 주소록
Diocese
Official website: https://aos.catholic.or.kr
Help verify information
Did the Mass schedule or church information change?
Let us know if you confirmed the displayed information or noticed something different.
Information Status: Official source
Visited here? Share details about toilets, parking or ramps.
Sign in to leave a visitor check.
Sign in to confirm the schedule or report a change.
Reports are saved for review. Mass times are changed after evidence such as official sources is checked, not automatically based on visitor confirmations.